2000
#9,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,204
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Rothrock
Derived from a place name meaning "red rock" in German, likely referring to someone who lived near a red rock formation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,410 Americans carry the last name Rothrock. That puts it at #10,308 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rothrock surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,514
Census rank
#10,308
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,974 bearers of the surname Rothrock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10308th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothrock, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rothrock
The surname ROTHROCK is of German origin, with its earliest roots traced back to the 14th century in the region of Bavaria. The name is derived from the German words "rot" meaning red and "rock" referring to a cloak or coat, suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have been associated with the production or trade of red cloaks or coats.
Historical records indicate that the ROTHROCK name first appeared in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the northern part of Bavaria. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Hans Rothrock, a merchant who lived in Rothenburg during the late 1300s. His name is found in the town's tax records from that period.
In the 16th century, the ROTHROCK name began to spread beyond Bavaria as members of the family ventured into other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. Notable individuals from this era include Johann Rothrock, a master blacksmith born in Nuremberg in 1523, and Katharina Rothrock, a respected midwife who lived in the city of Würzburg during the late 1500s.
As the ROTHROCK family expanded, some members eventually made their way to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the late 17th century, Jacob Rothrock, a farmer from the Palatinate region of Germany, immigrated to the British colonies in America, settling in what is now Pennsylvania. He is considered one of the earliest bearers of the ROTHROCK name in the New World.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the ROTHROCK surname achieved prominence in various fields. Abraham Rothrock (1792-1867) was a renowned botanist and naturalist from Pennsylvania, known for his extensive research on the flora of the Appalachian Mountains. Joseph Trimble Rothrock (1839-1922), born in Pennsylvania, was a pioneering conservationist and the first commissioner of forestry in the state.
Another notable figure was John Lewis Rothrock (1832-1911), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later served as a member of the Kansas legislature. In Europe, Heinrich Rothrock (1812-1879), a German physician and professor of medicine at the University of Munich, made significant contributions to the field of pathology.
Throughout its history, the ROTHROCK surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, artisans, farmers, and professionals in fields such as science, medicine, and public service. While the name has undergone minor variations in spelling over the centuries, its distinct German roots and connection to the production of red cloaks or coats remain a defining aspect of its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rothrock
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothrock, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rothrock bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rothrock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,743
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 106
- Two or more races3.0% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rothrock
Rothrock appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,172
-32 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 836 places
2020
#10,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,974
-198 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,336 | 3,204 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,172 | 3,172 | 1.08 | -32 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 836 places |
| 2020 | #10,308 | 2,974 | 0.99 | -198 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 136 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rothrock surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,172 | #10,308 | -1.3% |
| Count | 3,172 | 2,974 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.99 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rothrock bearers went from 3,172 to 2,974 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,172 to #10,308.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rothrock
FAQ
Rothrock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rothrock?
Name Census estimates that about 3,410 living Americans carry the surname Rothrock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,514 residents.
How common is Rothrock?
Rothrock ranks #10,308 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,974 people with the surname Rothrock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,410), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rothrock.
Has Rothrock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rothrock went from 3,172 recorded bearers to 2,974. That is a decrease of 198 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,172 to #10,308.
What does the Census say about the background of Rothrock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothrock, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rothrock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rothrock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rothrock (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rothrock mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "red rock" in German, likely referring to someone who lived near a red rock formation. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rothrock (0.99 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Rothrock?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.